3 Texas football 5-Star recruits ready to breakout in 2022
Alfred Collins, DL/EDGE
Another recent five-star recruit for the Longhorns that committed to Herman’s staff near the end of that era on the Forty Acres is the rising junior edge rusher/defensive lineman Alfred Collins. The former Cedar Creek five-star strong-side defensive end played his first season in college under Herman’s staff in 2020.
And then, Collins was part of the transition from playing under former Texas defensive coordinator/safeties coach Chris Ash in 2020 to co-defensive coordinators/linebackers coaches Pete Kwiatkowski and Jeff Choate last year.
That primarily meant that Collins was asked to play as the jack linebacker coming off the edge instead of lining up as a three-technique defensive lineman. Collins took most of his snaps as a defensive tackle or defensive end in the 3-4 defensive front under Ash during the 2020 season. Last season, though, Kwiatkowski had him taking most of his snaps as the jack linebacker coming off the edge. Although, he did line up in the three-technique at times last season.
The problem with that is, at least in terms of pass-rushing productivity, Collins was actually more effective playing as a three-technique defensive lineman than as a jack linebacker/edge rusher. Collins was also more effective defending the run playing as a three-technique DL than off the edge in the last couple of seasons. Granted, that is pretty common as linebacker can be more difficult to play in terms of stopping the run for someone as large as the 6-foot-5 and 300-pound Collins.
In the last two seasons, Collins registered 19 quarterback pressures, three QB hits, and one sack, in just over 200 snaps rushing the passer from the three-technique. And in nearly 150 snaps rushing the passer coming off the edge, Collins registered nine quarterback pressures, two QB hits, and two sacks.
These numbers go to show that it might be better to have Collins as a starting defensive tackle this season for Kwiatkowski and the Longhorns. And with that possibility looking like it could come to fruition this fall, this could finally be the time when Collins breaks through for Texas.